Bahrain: Coloni Motorsport race one report

A race of mixed emotions for Coloni.
Coloni Motorsport were left with mixed emotions after race
one at the Bahrain International Circuit after new driver
Ferdinando Monfardini was running in a strong fourth position
before an electrical problem...

A race of mixed emotions for Coloni.

Coloni Motorsport were left with mixed emotions after race
one at the Bahrain International Circuit after new driver
Ferdinando Monfardini was running in a strong fourth position
before an electrical problem left the Italian stranded on the
side of the track.

Ferdinando finished his first ever qualifying sessions with
Coloni in an impressive eighth position for the race, and
after an early pitstop and a string of quick laps he was
running fourth on track and catching Heikki Kovalainen.
Unfortunately for the young Italian disappointment was just
around the corner -- an electrical malfunction stopped the
car and he was unable to finish the race.

Mathias Lauda had a tougher time in qualifying, but a strong
drive in race one allowed the Austrian to push up to 14th in
the final results.

Team Principal Paolo Coloni noted: "I think in a way it was a
perfect race - Ferdinando was in position four behind
Kovalainen, so the strategy was perfect and everything was
going to plan. Unfortunately we then had an electrical
problem, which we are investigating, and of course he had to
retire. Mathias was able to run a solid race, and was quite
fast at the end to take fourteenth.

"I was happy that we could show that we can be still fight at
the very top like we did in the first half of the season, and
nicely surprised to see a driver get in our car for the first
time and look as though he had always worked with us -- that
was extremely positive."

A slightly disappointed Ferdinando Monfardini stated: "The
team worked very well, and so did I, until we suffered an
electronic problem in the final part of the race. It was a
shame because we were going to have a really good result, but
we finished with nothing. But the car was really quick all
weekend and we had a good set up, and I had a lot of
confidence to push the car strongly."